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Be Clutch

Safety campaign mascot-ified and animated

Context

During the COVID19 pandemic, my alma mater, Lehigh University, experienced a campus-wide shutdown. In the summer of 2020 when the institution was systematically phasing back to in-person learning, I was commissioned by Communications and Public Affairs to use illustrations and animations of our mascot to highlight safety procedures and protocols in a lighthearted way.

My Role

I designed and illustrated all visual assets of the project, including still images, animated stickers, and videos. Prior to this project, the Lehigh University mascot Clutch had never had a consistent presence as a cartoon character on social media. I was in charge of establishing a new, trendy identity of our existing, costumed mascot. Throughout the project, I communicated with varies departments at Lehigh University to ensure the consistency in artistic style and marketing language.

Time Frame

June - August, 2020

Skills

Digital art, storytelling, animation, graphic design

Software

Procreate, Canva, Adobe Premiere Pro

Platforms

Giphy, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Be Clutch Poster

Animated GIFs

Animated Video

Character Research

Mascot Studies: Lehigh University

Clutch the Mountain Hawk
Having studied at Lehigh for both undergraduate and graduate careers, I encounter our mascot Clutch the Mountain Hawk quite often. He is the giant, feathery figure at the freshman rallies, sporting events, commencement, and any whole-school occasion that needed him to be the figurehead of. 

Clutch

Although the Mountain Hawk is a fictional animal, the mascot combines both the hawk, a bird native to the Lehigh Valley, and the geography of Lehigh University’s South Mountain, creating the “Mountain Hawk.”
- The Brown and White

What made Clutch so identifiable, besides his frequent appearance on campus? I searched for Clutch's photos and sketched his figure. I highlighted characteristics that were unique to Clutch.

Clutch_Blueprint_.png

Mascot Studies: Other Institutions

Mascots are symbolic of American collegiate athletics. During my research, I looked into mascots of two other universities to compare and contrast their features.

Nittany Lion (Pennsylvania State University)
Nittany Lion, one of the oldest university mascots, is based on a mountain lion or cougar. It appears in two forms: animalistic (as seen at the Nittany Lion Shrine and on logos), and anthropomorphic (costumed, as seen at events).

Paws the Husky (Northeastern University)
Northeastern University has a history of live mascots. Paws was introduced to the campus in the 2000s as a" new, updated, costumed mascot designed to replace the student-elected Mr. and Mrs. Husky." 

Husky.png

Character Design

Initial Sketches

Based on the costumed mascot, I made initial sketches of what Clutch could look like as a cartoon character. I broke down structures of his body to gain a better understanding.

clutch initial sketches.png
Clutch_Initial.png

Defining the Character

After drafts of sketches, Clutch's proportion, body structures, and outfit were finalized. I decreased Clutch's proportion from 4 heads to 3 to make him appear "cuter" and more appealing to younger audience. I used several colors on Lehigh's branding guide for coloring reference. Eventually, Clutch came with its own palette.

Clutch_Palette.png

Putting it Together and Going Beyond

Animating

Once Clutch's design was confirmed, it was time to bring him to life. Based on the safety procedures issued by the university, I created a Clutch graphic for each. I used Procreate to illustrate and animate them.
The GIFs were uploaded to Giphy, which made them accessible on Instagram and TikTok. Within just a few months, the GIFs had garnered over 10 million views.

clutch giphy.gif
ig stickers.gif

Creating Clutch Today

I am still making Clutch illustrations to this day, years after graduating from Lehigh University. Every summer has been my Clutch commission season. I have created coloring books, T-shirt graphics, and doodle videos.

2020-09-16 16.09.22.jpg
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